[June
23] ITHACA, NY, USA--A total of 5,814 people at the Ithaca
Festival joined together to form the largest human
peace sign- setting a new world record.Photo:
Members of the Ithaca community and surrounding towns form
a peace symbol in Stewart Park, setting a the world record
for the largest human peace sign Sunday afternoon in Ithaca.
A total of 5,814 people joined the effort created and organized
by Ithaca High sophomore and peace activist Trevor Dougherty.
Photo by Eric Stewart/ Ithaca Journal-(enlarge
photo)

The massive human peace sign, which stretched
from one end of the field in Stewart Park to the other, was
composed of 5,814 festival-goers who stood for 20 minutes
as volunteers recorded the crowd's attempt to set a World
Record by creating the largest human peace sign.

“These people are walking away inspired,” said
Ithaca High School sophomore Trevor Dougherty, the
organizer of the attempt.

A viral
video he made last year ("Stand
Up for World Peace") for the site promoting world
peace was watched more than 700,000 times and inspired him
to organize this event, he said.

“We're not going to trash any weapons because
of this, but if everyone has the same idea in their mind,
that they are for coming together in peace and unity, then
there's a community started.”

First-year Ithaca
Festival director Jacob Roberts, enjoying the sun
with his shirt off Sunday, said success was marked by a number
of different benchmarks: at least 1,700 people marched in
Friday's parade — the largest turnout ever; at least 3,000
people showed up to dine on The Commons even as the world
record attempt was occurring; and everyone seemed to be having
fun in Sunday's good weather.

Godfrey Higgs, who was one of the thousands
of Ithacans making up the peace sign, said the world record
attempt was a chance to make a statement as a community. “It's
a great thing to say with a lot of people,” he said.

The previous world record was a gathering of
2,500 people at the University of Michigan.